This application claims the priority of German patent document 100 06 617.8, filed Feb. 15, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an extendable loading floor for a motor vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle provided with a rear flap.
A known loading floor is disclosed in DE 197 31 324 A1 and has a plurality of supporting elements which are designed as rollers, are fastened to the loading floor and can be adjusted in each case along an associated supporting rail. Each supporting rail runs parallel to the pull-out direction and is connected to the vehicle via a linkage. The loading floor can be adjusted between a retracted position and an extended position by an adjusting device comprising the above-mentioned linkage. In the retracted position, the loading floor is arranged completely within a loading space bounded by a loading edge and on a lowered level. In contrast thereto, in its extended position the loading floor protruding at least partially over the loading edge juts out of the loading space, the loading floor in addition being situated on a raised level rising above the loading edge.
The adjusting device used for adjusting the loading floor has parallel links in a parallelogram arrangement, so that as it is being lifted the loading floor is adjusted parallel to itself upwards and in the extension direction. Because of the multiplicity of bearing points and movable parts, the known loading floor has a relatively complicated design.
An object of the present invention is to achieve a simplified design for a loading-space floor of the type mentioned above.
According to the present invention, this object has been acheived by a loading floor based on the general concept of adjusting the loading floor between the lower level and the upper level using lifting apparatus only in a region in the vicinity of the loading edge, with the loading floor being inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. The horizontal alignment of the loading-space floor then takes place during extension of the loading floor, because the supporting rail which is fixed to the vehicle has a corresponding inclination which is selected in such a way that the loading floor is aligned essentially horizontally at least in its extended position.
The adjusting device of the loading floor according to the present invention therefore requires lifting apparatus only in the vicinity of the loading edge, because the lifting up or lowering of the loading floor otherwise takes place on account of the specific shaping of the supporting rail which is fixed to the vehicle. Accordingly, the loading floor according to the present invention is effective with only a few bearing points and a few pivoting elements, giving rise to a particularly simple design.
In accordance with a currently preferred embodiment, the supporting rail may be designed in such a manner that it rises, in particular rectilinearly, from a first rail section, in which the supporting element of the loading floor is supported in its retracted position, to a second rail section, in which the supporting element of the loading floor is supported in its extended position. In this manner, the maximum achievable inclination of the loading floor with respect to a horizontal plane is relatively small, as a result of which, during the lifting up and lowering, slipping of a load placed on the loading floor can be avoided.